April 19, 2024
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Jesus CHRIST.
Like Jackman a lot, cool guy, but after seeing him soft-shoeing in some rehearsal that looks like Bob Fosse envisioned a gay Barry Lyndon…
Not so sure I’d agree that more people will watch this at once than anything Hugh ever does. By about 17 minutes in, I imagine most of America will jump shit, and my Valley shoebox theater screening of DECEPTION clocked more viewers than this showtune bullshit will ever see.
Sure, some people might tune out within 15 minutes, but Hugh Jackman still makes me wet down there.
I love that Nikki Finke is somehow trying to claim that she “started” this as some sort of viral tease, when a) Poland posted it before she did, b) it’s freely available online at Youtube, and c) other sites have linked to it, as well. Funny stuff.
One more time for the folks in the cheap seats: this Oscars ceremony will be ridiculously screwy. I’m talkin about being MC KEYS in REVERSE! Ladies and Gents: the Academy has hit LUDICROUS SPEED!
“rehearsal that looks like Bob Fosse envisioned a gay Barry Lyndon…”
Lex I fail to see how what you’ve just described would not be awesome.
I like to imagine that Jackman not being a comedian will mean by 17 minutes in we’ll already be at the awards section of the night.
“”rehearsal that looks like Bob Fosse envisioned a gay Barry Lyndon…”
Most exquisitely astute thing LexG has stated in ages…
Jackman is a decent bloke, a professional, who can sing, dance, and crack jokes, but I would’ve gone with Ricky Gervais, someone who could take the piss out of Hollywood.
Ricky Gervais: Also somebody nobody outside of Hollywood even knows.
“Ricky Gervais: Also somebody nobody outside of Hollywood even knows.”
I have to disagree here. I think it’s “almost nobody”.
That’s ok… Finke also posted a ‘Dark Knight breaks $1 billion’ article, using some of the exact same sentences and phrase wording as Brandon Grey’s much earlier Box Office Mojo article. Amusingly, neither of them mentioned that the reason it might have taken so long was that the film was banned in China.
Nevermind. The sentence in question is now referenced to Gray… either she changed it or I misread it at 5am this morning… apologies.
Oddly enough, Warner Brothers never submitted Dark Knight to China, so no release, and no ban. Funny. They shot there, and then thought they couldn’t release there because of the fact.
Hugh Jackman will at least bring some old skool showbiz back to what was turning into a desperate comedic showcase. I’m tired of the self-flagellation.
According to the articles I read, Warner was basically told that they’d have to meet a bunch of ‘pre-release conditions’ regarding ‘cultural sensitivities’ and decided not to bother. It smelled to me like stepping down before you got impeached.
Think that Hugh looks great in the video…..but my question is…..why is it so professionally produced? I mean if it were a sneak it would feel like a sneak peak and be amateurish in nature. This is a fully produced and cut together video….why is someone wasting time and money on that?
Looking forward to the trainwreck.
I’m desperately trying to work up enthusiasm about Sunday nite’s shindig, but it just ain’t happening.
I’m actually more intrigued at the possibility of Bill Condon’s much ballyhooed meta Oscar production blowing up in his face and becoming one of the most ridiculed fiascos (see “Rob Lowe Meets Snow White”) in the history of the Academy Awards.
Now THAT could be fun.
Hugh Jackman just doesn’t inspire a whole lot of…well, anything, and the one “shocker” of an upset I’d most like to see (Ledger losing to any of his more deserving fellow nominees) simply ain’t gonna happen. Yawn and yawn again.
Does anyone know who was ordained to assume spoilsport Peter Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” warbling chores? I really, truly hope that it’s someone as frigging awesome as Josh Grobin.
ToFu, they shot that in Hong Kong, which, while technically a part of China, is almost completely different. And, it was released in Hong Kong, and probably in Macao as well.
Speaking of which, does anyone know when John Woo’s Red Cliff gonna come out in North America?
Oh, and Jerry Lewis will be there, which will make it a must-see.
Speaking of Jerry Lewis, Manohla Dargis’ piece from the Sunday NY Times was first-rate.
Does anyone else remember just how bad a writer Dargis was–stiffly academic, dull as dirt–when she started out at the Village Voice back in the ’80s? She’s come a long way since moving out west to take her (former) job at the LA Times.
Of course, I could never fathom why the Times wanted to hire Dargis in the first place after her undistinguished (to put it mildly) tenure at the Voice. Guess they saw something in her constipated prose that I didn’t. Nice to see that their faith was eventually rewarded since she’s turned into one of America’s finest working film critics.
“Does anyone know who was ordained to assume spoilsport Peter Gabriel’s “Down to Earth” warbling chores? I really, truly hope that it’s someone as frigging awesome as Josh Grobin.”
If they’re not fighting for a Chris Brown/Rihanna duet on this one, they just really don’t care about ratings.
movieman, I imagine they’ll just skip the performance like they did when Eminem didn’t perform. I’d hate to think what Gabriel would do if he saw somebody else performing his song.
I’m not one for watching people be uncomfortable and awkward and if anybody but Ledger won I think it would make for the worst television of all time. What would they say? As silly as it sounds, I also think many many people would take it as a sort of “final nail in the coffin” deal. And I’m not being hyperbolic about that.
“As silly as it sounds, I also think many many people would take it as a sort of ‘final nail in the coffin’ deal. And I’m not being hyperbolic about that.”
The final nail in the Oscar show’s coffin? If that’s what you mean, I sadly disagree. If somebody beats Ledger tomorrow, it would almost be like that Super Bowl the undefeated Patriots lost a couple of years ago. It would renew the audience’s faith in miracles. And there’s also a sizeable segment of them out there that just want to dance on Heath Ledger’s grave with that kind of upset.
Really? Is there really a sizable anti-Ledger contingent out there? This is the first I’ve heard of it. Who’s the preferred non-Ledger nominee, Brolin? Downey?
If they need someone to sub for Peter Gabriel, they should get Ann Reinking.
Hal: bringing up that Super Bowl is like bringing up the most recent one. You know? The one with the bad refereeing? Yeah. Not a good call. Nevertheless; if Heath Ledger loses. Whomever does win that Oscar better pull a Ving Rhames, and give it to him.
I am just happy that people like Hal have a view of a team winning the Super Bowl, that did not go back to Super Bowl. Thanks to their QB all of a sudden having an inability to throw in a stiff wind.
Also; all you have to do is go back over recent NFL history, and notice all cool things that can happen in the NFL. Never happen thanks to the Giants. The 49ers potentially three-peating, Buffalo winning a Super Bowl, and the Patriots winning 19-0. All of these were derailed by the team of derailing anything or everything that could be cool in the NFL.
hallick, thanks to io – i mean ‘iheart’ – i now picture you as a glowing red light encased in a circular glass dome. just thought you might like to know
“hallick, thanks to io – i mean ‘iheart’ – i now picture you as a glowing red light encased in a circular glass dome. just thought you might like to know”
Well, since that is an upgrade from how I imagine I’m usually pictured, I’m actually, sadly, a little flattered. Thanks.
Hal: I imagine you as a slightly overweight man with red hair and a red beard. Why? Who knows. It’s just the impression that I get.
“Hal: I imagine you as a slightly overweight man with red hair and a red beard. Why? Who knows. It’s just the impression that I get.”
so I’m basically Harry Knowles, just after gastric bypass surgery. Great. Well, at least you got “slightly overweight” and “man” on the nose…(okay, FINE, 30 to 40 pounds overweight is only “slightly” if you’re comparing me to one of those people that have to be cut from there homes to see sunlight)
VAG OWNS.
FUCK YEAH.